Machine for making nuts.



No. 658,9al. l Patented oct. 2, |900. G. nuNHAM.

MACHINE Fon MAKING NUTS.

(Application med Dc. 27, 1899; (No Model.) y 5 Sheets-$heet l.

No. .658,98I. Patented Oct. 2, |900.

. G. DUNH'AM.

MACHINE FOB MAKING NUTS.

(Application led Dec. 27, .1899.) (No Model.) 5 Shets-Sheei 2.

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Nn. 658,9sl. Patented out. 2, |900.

G nuNHAM. MACHINE vlr'Dl'i-MKlNU NUTS.

(Application fled Dec. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

TH: Nonms Pneus no.. Nom-umu., wsumamn. c c.

No. 658,98I. Patented Oct. 2, |900. G. DUNHAM.

MACHINE FOR MAKING NUTS.

(Application fxled Dec. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.) 1 s sheets-sheet 4.y

YN: muys Perzns co Fuero-umol. WASHINGTON. vA c.

Patented oet. 2, |900;

No. 658,98l. f

G. DUNHAM. MAcHmE Fon MAKING NUTS.

(Appncaeion med nec. 2 7, 189e.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

UNTTEE STATES PATENT QEETCE.

GEORGE DUNHAM, OE UNIONVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

MACH-INE FOR MAKING NUTS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 658,981, dated October 2, 1900.

Application filed December 27, 1899. Serial No. 741.734. ihlo model.;

To all whom, if muy concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE DUNHAM, a citizen of t-he United States, residing in Unionville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Nuts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for making nuts; andthe objects of myimprovementare rapidity and efficiency in operation, especially with reference to accuracy in punching the central hole for the nut.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the opposite side of the machine from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away and with the cap that covers the punch-slides removed. Fig. Liisa vertical and transverse section of the frame 0n the line wat of Fig. 1, showing the dies and connected parts 'on the left-hand side of the said line, the feed mechanism being removed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the dies and connected parts-from Fig. 11, but with the cap or take-off for the round punch removed and with the cap forthe upper hexagonal punch in vertical section. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of parts on line y y of Fig. 5, together with a side elevation ofthe two punch-slides and their punches.

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of a por tion of the frame on the line a; a; of Fig. 1, but showing the punches on the right-hand side of the said line instead of showing the dies 'at the left.

A designates the frame of the machine, and B the driving-shaft, having driving-pulley C and pinion D, engaging with and driving the gear-wheel E on the.crankshaft F, which is practically the main shaft of the machine. The said gear-wheel may be loosely mounted on its shaft and connected therewith to drive the said shaft by means of any ordinary clutch 10, Fig. 3. The double cranks of this Vshaft are connected, by means of ordinary pitmen 11, with the two punch slides 12 and 13. These slides I have shown as having beveled upper and lower edges, which are guided in V-shaped ways in the parts 14 on the frame 4;

but any ordinary construction may be employed to guide the slides. The cranks on Fig. 6.

the crank-shaft are relatively arranged s0 that when one slide is at the extreme end of its forward movement the other slide is back of the end of its stroke, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the slides act alternately on the work instead of simultaneously. The slide 12 carries a round punch 9 for punching the central hole of the nuts, and theslide 13 carries the shear punch or cutter 15 and two hexagonal punches 16 and 17 or other shaped punches,or as many of them as it is desired to use.

Upon the inside of the frame A at the end of the machine I arrange the die-holders 18 and 19 and connected parts, with dies arranged in opposition to the several punches for coperation therewith. The die-holder 19 carries the second vhexagonal die 20, which I prefer to form in the shape of a round block that may be set in the die-holder, and at the Vfront of this die, on two sides thereof, I arrange a pair of spring-fingers 2l. Said fin'- gers are pivoted to the die-holder by the bolts 22 at their lower end, and they are forced toward each other by means of the spring 23 on the bolt 24, that passes through said fingers, whereby the fingers may be forced apart under the pressure of a nut-blank that may be forced in between them by means of a supplementary holder rigidly secured thereto, as if in, one piece therewith. The die-holder 1S carries at its lowerpart the first. hexagonal die 25, and at the rear thereof and in axial alinement vtherewith is the ordinary crowning-die 26, Fig. 6. In connection with the said crowning-die there is a sliding knockout 27, provided with a spring 28, that has a tendency to hold it in the position shown in The rst hexagonal die at its frontthat is, the side that faces the punches-is provided with a cap 29, recessed or rabbeted and provided with a' spring-stop v30 on the under the shear block or die 35 by the side of the first hexagonal die 25, and at the point opposite the spring-stop 30 it is provided with a yielding stop 36, that is forced toward its companion stop 30 by means of the spring 37,

Fig. 5. These stops 30 and 36 are a little forward of the die 25, and therefore I provide them with fins or guides 8 to guide the blank into the lower end of said stops.

The die-holder 18 has secured to it the dieblock 38, having a series of round holes 39 for punching the central hole of the nut, and shear or cutting blocks 35 and 40 for joint action with the shear punch or cutter l5, the cutting-faces of which blocks are in a plane in front of that of the first hexagonal die 25. The shear-block 40 is adjustable longitudinally by means of the set-screw 41. Above the shear-block 40 is a longitudinally-adjustable holding-block 43, which is adjusted and held longitudinally by the set-screw 44. A portion of the ends of the holding-block 43 and cap 29 bear against the edge of the dieblock 38. This die-block 38 is held in place by the iilling-blocks 45 and set-screws 46 bearing on its ends and the shear-block 35 at one edge and the wedge 47 at its opposite edge. Ot' course only one die-hole can be used at one time, and therefore only one is essential; but for convenience a series of them are made in one block, so that either hole may be brought into position for use when desired. By means of the set-screws 46 and the filling-blocks 45 (which may both be placed at one end of the said die-block 38 when desired) the said die-block may be adjusted in an endwise direction to bring any one of the holes in the right-hand row in front of the punch, and by changing the said dieblock end for end the row of holes shown in Fig. 5 as at the left will be brought into the same position as the row of holes now shown at the right in the said Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the second hole from the top in the right-hand row of die-holes 39 is the one that is in proper position for coaction with the punch 9 of the slides l2. The die-block 38 may be adjusted laterally as far as is necessary by means of the wedge 47 and the setscrews 42 and 44, the shear-block 35 being adjustable therewith. The other shearblock can be separately adjusted to make the space between the blocks 35 and 40 correspond with the width of the shear-punch l5 by means of the set-screw 4l. The die-block 38 is covered by a combined cap and takeoff 48, the rear side of which cap is grooved horizontally, as indicated by broken lines 49, Fig. 4, to make a horizontal passage for the introduction of a bar to the round die-hole 39 and shearblocks 35 and 40, a stop-gage 50, Fig. 4, being placed over the shear-block 40, as shown. Extending upwardly from the horizontal passage 49 through the cap and take-off 48 there is a vertical groove within which the clamping-bar 5l slides, which bar may be held down by means of the spring 52, Fig. 4.

The rear side of the holding-block 43 is recessed at one end vertically to permit the passage of the pusher or carrier finger 53,that moves vertically down between the shearblocks and in alinement with the space between the spring-stops 30 and 36. There is also a vertical passage 54 in the rear of the first hexagonal die 25 and in front of the crowning-die 26 for the passage of a second pusher or carrier linger 55. These carrierngers are both secured to the carrier-head 56,which head is secured to a vertically-moving slide 57. Said slide is connected,by means ofthe pitman 58, with the long arm of the weighted angle-lever 59, which may also be provided with a spring to pull the long arm of said lever downwardly. The weighted and shortarm of the angle-lever is connected, by means of thelink orrod 61, to the rocking arm 62 of the rock-shaft 63. The rock-shaft is moved in opposition to the spring and weight of the angle-lever 59 by means of the cam 64 on the crank-shaft F and the end 65 of the rocking arm 66 on the said shaft. I prefer to make the bearing portion on the end of said arm in the form of a roller adjustably connected by a pin-and-slot connection 67, as shown in Fig. 2. If desired to make the motion of the rock-shaft positive in both directions instead of depending on gravity and a spring, a second cam 68 may be applied to the crank-shaft by the side of the cam 64, and the other end 69 of the rocking arm 66 bear upon the said cam. In practice I employ the two cams in connection with the weighted lever 59 and spring 60.

The clamping-bar 5l is forced downwardly by means of the lever 70 and cam 7l inside of the frame on the crank-shaft, and the pressure of said lever on the said bar may be regulated by means of the screw 72, that is interposed between the said lever 70 and upper end of the clamping-bar. The contour of the cam 71 is shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. Upon the end of the crank-shaft F, outside of the frame, is the feed-cam 73. From its drop or shoulder 74 for about one-third of its circumference it is concentric and of its smallest radius. It then rises gradually for nearly another third, then has a short concentric face 75, and then a short rise 76, followed by a concentric face to its drop 74. The feeding-rollers 77 and their ratchet mechanism 78 are of an ordinary construction,and therefore need not be specicallydescribed. Their pawl-carrier 79 is secured by one end to a swinging arm 80, that is loosely mounted on the rock-shaft 63, which arm is actuated in one direction by the feedcam 73 and in the opposite direction by the gravity of the said arm. This arm is loosely mounted on the said shaft 63 bymeans of a set-screw 8l, the end of which enters an annular groove on the said shaft, as indicated by the broken circle in Fig. l; but the end of the said screw loosely enters the said groove Without binding, so that the arm is free to swing independently of the rotary or rocking movement of the said shaft 63.

A bar of iron being fed in between the feedrollers 77 passes through the horizontal passage in the cap and take-oit to the dies.

IIO

When the bar is being fed forward, the cam 71 has its smallest radius opposite the end of the lever 70, so as to free the clamping-bar 5l. The bar is fed forward in front of the shear-blocks or blanking-dies and stopped by its end coming in contact with the stop-gage 50. The shear punch or cutter 15 now comes forward and cuts off a nut-blank, cutting olf the bar on the line of the shear-block 35 and cutting enough at the end ot' the bar on the line of the shear-block 40 to prevent the nut'- blank tipping while being cut. The nutblank is cut o when the swinging arm. bears on the concentric face 75 ofthe feed-cam 73.' In thus cutting off a nut-blank the bar will be forced back a little within thefeed-rollers, and therefore immediately after cutting the bar the slight rise 76 of the cam acts to feed the bar forward again until it is stopped by while the round punch 9 on the slide 12 is ad-` vancing` The concentric face of the cam that follows the rise 76 holds the feed-rollers for a time and then releases their paWl-carrier. Before the punch 9 acts on the bar the cam 71 acts to force the clamping-bar down tol hold the iron. By the time the punch 9 acts on the iron the shear-punch 15 has withdrawn so far that the iron is allowed to expand or stretch under the action of the punch 9. The pu-nch 9 and its die are so set relatively to the shear-punch 15 that a length of the bar for one blank intervenes between the length for the blank being punched and the said shear-punch, and consequently when a fresh bar is put into the machine two blanks are cut off without having any hole punched in them; but after two blanks have been cut off, the stop-gage 50 being properly set, the hole punched in the bar will come centrally in front of the space between the shear-blocks 35 and 40, and by gaging from the shearpunch for punching this hole much greater accuracy in punching it centrally is attained than is possible when the bar is gaged by a stop on the other side of the shear-punchas, for instance, the stop 50. The punched nut-blank that has been cut off between the shear-blocks 35 and 40 is forced downwardly therefrom in between the spring-stops 36 and 30 and is stopped in front of the flrst'hexagonal die 25. The hexagonal punch 16 then acts to force the blank into the said die to give the blank its proper hexagonal form, the said punch being provided with an ordinary yielding center or pilot, as usual in other nut-machines. After several nuts have been forced into'the die 25 they pass along to the crowningdie 26. They stick together so tightly that they do not fall of themselves when passing over the vertical passage 54. Thus when a certain number are punched the punch 16 as it forces a nut-blank into the die 25 to trim it at the same time forces the forward nut-blank in the gang of nuts into the crowning-die and crowns or rounds the face of the nut next to the said die. In being forced into the crowningdie the nut forces the knock-out 27 back against the force of its spring, so that upon the withdrawal of the punch 16 the gang of nuts is forced toward the said punch by said knockout and stopped with the end nut of the gang over the vertical passage 54 and under the second pusher or carrier finger 55, 'that is forced downwardly with the finger 53 by means of the rock-shaft and cam. This forces the nut. down in between the spring-fingers 2l into proper position in front of the second or lower hexagonal die 20. In this connection I should say that the die 25 has two parallel sides in a horizontal position, While the die 20 has the corresponding sides in a vertical position, and therefore I make the inner corner of the right-hand springlinger, as shown in Fig. 5, a little fuller than the opposite inner corner, whereby the nut striking the said full corner in its descent is turned to correspond with the different position of the said die. The spring-fingers hold the nut. rmly by friction, and the nut is stopped at the proper height in front of said die by being pushed down to the proper point by the' pusher-finger 55. At the next forward movement of the slide 13 the hexagonal punch 17 forces the blank from between the fingers 21 through the die, so as to trim it, from which die the finished nut may pass out of the inachi'ne through any suitable passage-Way.

While I have described the machine as for making hexagonal nuts,.it is evident that dies and punches for making square or other shaped nuts may be substituted, if desired. Itis also evident that the action of the crowning-die 2O and punch 17 is supplemental to the action of the round die and punch and the first hexagonal die and punch. It may also be observed that the shear-punch 15 serves as a stop that moves into its position for stopping the bar to be punched and then retreats, so as to be ont of the way when the bar is being punchedf The shear-punch and the blocks constitute a blanking punch and die.

It is apparent that some changes from the specic construction herein disclosed may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described, but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a nut-machine, the combination of a crank-shaft having two cranks with a punchslide having a punch for the round hole in the nut, another slide having at one side of the said round-hole punch a punch for blanking out'the nut and diesfor coaction with said punches, the said two slides and cranks being arranged and connected for making the strokes of the said slides and punches alternately, with the blanking-punch withdrawing IZO from action on the bar when the round-hole punch begins to act thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a nut-machine, the combination ofthe crank -shaft with the two slides and their punches, dies for coacting with said punches and a feeding mechanism having the cam with a feeding rise following its main feeding ineline, and timed to act between the cutting operations of the said two punches, substantially as described.

3. In a nut-machine, the combination of the punching-die and punch for the hole in the nut, with theblanking-punch and its die, mechanism for bringing the said blankingpunch forward for blanking a nut and into position for stopping the bar for punching the hole, and then withdrawing the said blanking-punch from the end of the bar when the hole is being punched therein, and feeding mechanism relatively timed to feed the end of the bar against the said blanking-punch, between the cutting action of the said two punches, substantially as described.

4. In a nut-machine, the combination of two slides making the forward end of their strokes alternately, with a blanking-punch mounted in one of said slides, a punch for the hole in the nut mounted in the other slide, dies for coact-ing with said punches and feeding mech- :mism arranged to feed the stock forward for blanking the nut and then forward a second time after a nut has been blanked therefrom and before the next hole is punched in the said bar, substantially as described.

5. In a nut-machine, the combination of the die-holder with the round-hole die-block, the wedge 47 on one side of said block, the shearbloek 35 on the opposite side, the blocks 43 and 29 with portions bearing on the said shearblock and the holding-screws 42 and 44, substantially as described.

6. In a nut-machine, the combination of the central-hole punch and die with the blanking punch and die arranged side by side, the die 25 and its punch, arranged vertically underneath the said blanking punch and die, the stops for arresting a blank in front of said die 25, and the reciprocating pusher or carrier finger 53 for forcing the blank from the blanking-die vertically down upon the said stops, substantially as described.

7. In a nut-machine, the combination of the central-hole punch and die,with the blau kingout punch and die, the shaping-die 25 and its punch, the stops in front of the said die, the crowning-die in back of the die 25, a knockout for clearing the crowning-die, the second trimming-die and punch 2O and 17, the carrier-head, the two pusher or carrier fingers 53 and 55 mounted on said head, and mechanism for reciprocating the said head and its fingers, substantially as described.

8. In an ut-machine, the combination of the two slides making the forward end of their stroke alteruate1y,with the central-hole punch in one slide, the blanking-out punch in the other slide, dies for coacting with the said punches, a clamping-bar, and mechanism for forcing said bar upon the stock While the central hole for the nut is being punched therein and for releasing the pressure thereon when the stock is being acted upon by the blanking-punch, substantially as described.

9. In a nut-machine, the combination of a punch for the central hole in the nut, a shearpuneh for blanking out the nut, dies for said punches, and a stop-gage 50 for gaging the bar in blanking out the nut, while the shearpunch serves as a stop-gage for gaging the bar in punching the hole in the nut, substantially as described.

l0. In a nut-machine, the combination of a crank-shaft having two diterently-arranged cranks with a punch-slide connected with one of the said cranks having a punch for the round hole in the nut, another slide connected with the other one of the said cranks having a punch for blan king out the nut and dies for coacting with said punches, whereby the blanking-punch is back of the rod of iron before the ro und-hole punch enters the said iron sufficiently to stretch said rod, substantially as described.

GEORGE DUNHAM.

Witnesses:

JAMES SHEPARD, A. W. STIPEK. 

